In the season
premiere on TLC, singer Kelly Clarkson traced her
third-great-grandfather Isaiah Rose from Marietta,
Ohio, to his imprisonment at the notorious
Andersonville Civil War prison, and back home after his escape. There,
he served as county sheriff and a state senator.

The
story is common: Lots of
Americans have Civil War soldier ancestors, many of whom were held
at Andersonville and other prisons. The genealogy research is very doable—and
you don’t have to drive around the country like Clarkson did, or meet with a slew of
Civil War experts.

It’s neat for "WDYTYA?" viewers to see the original historical
records, but the same records Clarkson used are available online or
by ordering from repositories. For example:

Yes, I have been waiting with great anticipation for the series to begin. Like Kelly Clarkson, I am from Texas and have many ancestors who were a part of the Before, During and Aftermath of the Civil War. Thank you so much for all the links and information for my continued research online. I hope one day to jump in my SUV and travel to Georgia, but until then, the information you have provided will be of great help.

Hello Diane,Thank you for clarifying that we can look up and receive some of those records without actually having to visit the City, and State where they occurred.

I wasn't aware that I could research different battles so easily and am very happy you reported this information.

"Civil War battle reports, such as the one from the 63rd Ohio that a researcher showed Clarkson at the DeKalb (Ga.) History Center, are part of the The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, also called the OR. You can use the OR online, or just run a web search of the battle name and "battle report."

Thank you so much for the wonderful article! Christie Valparaiso, Indiana